Water Avens
Geum rivale
A wetland avens with nodding, half-closed bells of dusky pink petals cupped in maroon calyces, held on arching stems above a basal rosette and followed by hooked seed heads with feathery styles. Bumblebees are its main pollinator. It wants reliably wet, rich ground at a pond edge or in a bog garden and will not take drought.
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 0.75–1.5 ft
- Spacing
- 0.5–1 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- wet
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- May, June, July
- Bloom colors
- purple
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, butterflies
- Landscape uses
- rain garden, border, naturalizing
- Native states
- AR, CO, CT, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY